Cartoons.
We love them because they make us laugh.
Whimsical, quirky, and eccentric,
they can be as effervescent as champagne.
As costumes and masquerade take to the streets today,
some highly stylized, theatrical furniture feels right for Halloween.
A dash of this, a sprinkle of that —
— stir it up in the imagination
and out comes what I call
Cartoony Done Right.
In Cartoony Done Right, the pieces can be mostly
• • • Serious with a Touch of Whimsy • • •
photo courtesy of freshome.com
• • • Or Plump & Frilly • • •
photo courtesy of polart.us
• • • Scaled for Royalty • • •
photo courtesy of desktopwallpapers4.me
• • • Or More Demure • • •
photo courtesy of polart.us
• • • In the Box • • •
They can twinkle with a wry sense of humor like this bookcase.
photo courtesy of polart.us
• • • Flipped Over • • •
Or make you pause to admire the cleverness of an old school classic with an understated chuckle like this bookcase from Italian design brand, LEMA.
photo courtesy of raw-edges.com
Here it is in situ — isn’t it clever how the bookshelf works like a console?
photo courtesy of raw-edges.com
• • • The King, Judson Beaumont • • •
A few contemporary furniture designers specialize in the cartoony. Judson Beaumont is probably the most well known. His company, Straight Line Designs, produces imaginative furniture that is anything but straight-lined.
Here, in honor of the most famous mouse of all time and his special pal Minnie, animation overtakes the conventionally staid chests of drawers:
photo courtesy of theendearingdesigner.com
Traditional chests of drawers are made of wood. What happens when a beaver takes out after that chest with his two front teeth? In Judson Beaumont's world, it turns out something like this whimsical mind bender:
photo courtesy of rwarchitextures.blogspot.com
• • • Suit Up • • •
Grey flannel pin stripes define the quintessential men's formal suit. When grey flannel pin stripes are turned out on rounded rectangles supported by lime green legs, the friendly shapes begin to resemble conversation balloons.
photo courtesy of homeharmonizing.com
• • • Bold Colors & Lines • • •
Bold animation meets minimalist shapes, sharp lines and strong graphics in Kelly Behun’s zippy, spirited bench:
photo courtesy of kellybehun.com
So what is Cartoony Done Right?
It’s the animation of furniture through whimsy and imagination, just like Walt Disney brought a mouse to life in 1928. My favorite of his modern day descendants is a Romanian designer, Irina Neacsu, whose adorable cartoon chairs are the perfect meditation on Cartoony Done Right:
For more whimsical, cartoony furniture inspiration, check out our Pinterest Board!
Love what you see? Sign up to receive our Spectacular Design inspirations!